moosch. took the stage at the Aggie Theatre to an electric audience in anticipation of their performance. As the band began their set, the lengthy rehearsals, writing sessions, recordings, and collaborations all came together for an incredible performance.

moosch. creates an incredible atmosphere of collaboration between friends and family, one that the audience can’t help but enjoy. Their new album, Junk Drawer, explores a world of connection that comforts and intrigues the listener.

Highlights:

“Brother” was released as a single preceding their July 16th show, and along with “Sarah by the Sea”, moosch. showcases their incredible instrumental abilities by several band members, notably Ethan Dunkerton and Leah Dunphy, who both delivered sensitive yet comforting performances to their softer tracks. “Laisse M’aider”, featuring Jalen Thompson, composer and former KCSU Music Director, is an artistic rap track that pulls inspiration from R&B and jazz. Other songs such as “Miles Madness” and “PLAY!” are heavier, with a driving rhythmic pulse from Miles Mayer-Bickel on drums and Miles Harrison on bass. My personal highlight from the band was “Magpie”, a spirited modern jazz track that emphasized the group’s intense musicality from both collaborators and core members.

“To me, art exists in four pillars: aesthetic (e.x. music theory, color theory), pragmatic (e.x. the physical technique required to play an instrument), introspective (what music means, creates, and does inside of you), and social (what music means, creates, and does for a community…),” Ethan Dunkerton comments.

Junk Drawer was created by over 70 musicians from around the world. Over 30 musicians were on stage on the night of the concert, some of whom also appear on the album recordings.

“The album became a collaborative project because the three of us who started what would later become the album and band (Miles Mayer-Bickel, Leah Dunphy, and me, Ethan Dunkerton) had such different perspectives on all of these pillars, and we’re so eager to learn from each other,” Dunkerton explains.

moosch. had released several social media posts in anticipation of their album release, focusing on the rehearsal process and their collection of musician collaborators. With the help of their art team, musicians, friends, fans, and family, moosch. has made their mark on Fort Collins’ local music scene.

“Sometimes it was in person, sometimes it was done overseas by sending project files back and forth,” Dunkerton says, “but all of it was done by inviting people to make art that they were interested in for only the sake of making art together.”

Junk Drawer by moosch. is streaming now.